Is Freedom of Speech more important that human life

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Ronald0, Sep 19, 2012.

  1. Ronald0

    Ronald0 New Member

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    The reaction of many Muslims to the Mohammad film is indeed despicable. Blame it on lack of education, poor foreign policy or any other number of reasons, there's no doubt it was clearly wrong.

    However, are we not letting freedom of speech go a little too far? Is freedom of speech really worth it if I know that exercising my right to freedom of speech might get dozens of people killed? Would it not have been better to ban the film and save those lives than to exercise freedom of speech knowing that it would endanger others' lives? In this case, is freedom of speech really worth the cost?
     
  2. NothingSacred

    NothingSacred Active Member

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    Yes, Freedom of Speech is more important. I'll make a deal with the Muslim world, do what you like when someone ridicules Mohammed, But don't get mad if we decide to pound Mecca with a nuke if one of your guys makes fun of Jesus. I'd love to see that happen. I say 'bring it'... (By the way I am a far leftist)
     
  3. Ronald0

    Ronald0 New Member

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    Those may be your "Christian" values but as a Muslim I did prefer if no one got hurt whatever religion or race they may be. So there's one less movie on the market. Big freaking deal.
     
  4. stekim

    stekim New Member

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    So anytime a group is offended and decides to react in an emotional, irrational and silly way we should ban the "offending" material? The problem here is with those reacting poorly to a movie. Maybe banning Islam would be better. There would just be one less religion in the market. Big freaking deal.
     
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  5. custer

    custer New Member

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    Anyone who threatens human life to due Freedom of Speech needs to be harshly and forcefully removed from earth.

    Life and Freedom of Speech are sacred. those who would kill over it, deserve death. that's how you fix the problem.
     
  6. Ronald0

    Ronald0 New Member

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    Yes I agree those reacting poorly to the movie are the problem. They are a bigger insult to Islam than the movie.

    Knowing that it would lead to death and destruction and that it could not be controlled, it would have been better to ban the movie. Human life in my book is far more important than a movie.
     
  7. Albert Di Salvo

    Albert Di Salvo New Member

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    Freedom of speech in America cannot be abridged except as permitted by the US Supreme Court. Case closed.
     
  8. Daybreaker

    Daybreaker Well-Known Member

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    When you put it like that, it's a tough call.

    But it's not my call to make. Yes, freedom of speech is more important than human life. Maybe the person that released the film shouldn't have, and should have made a different call. But it was their call to make. Taking that away from people would be worse than killing them, and in the long term would only lead to more death.

    Freedom of speech is dangerous, no doubt. But a lot of important things are.
     
  9. stekim

    stekim New Member

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    Human life without freedom is not worth living. Controlling people through the threat of violence is terrorism. Banning the movie would be giving in to least common denominator. What if they decide that anything short of a taliban-type theocracy is "offensive". Do we simply become one to prevent them from doing stupid things? I think not.
     
  10. Ronald0

    Ronald0 New Member

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    Certainly not as important as a human life.

    What are we coming to when we say a hate filled movie is more important than human life?
     
  11. Anikdote

    Anikdote Well-Known Member

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    Yes it is and always will be. I'd rather live free or die trying.
     
  12. Daybreaker

    Daybreaker Well-Known Member

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    It's not the movie itself that's important. I'll grant you that it doesn't sound like it's even a very good movie. But the right to express an extremely unpopular, even infuriating (literally) opinion? That's more important than mere survival. Life is art.

    I have no intention of watching this movie myself. It doesn't sound interesting. It sounds like it was written by republicans and republicans are terrible writers (occasionally good actors). But we can't take away this guy's right to express whatever idiotic historical or spiritual theories he may have. That would only make things worse in the long run.
     
  13. Ronald0

    Ronald0 New Member

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    Its not about controlling. There were no threats or blackmail.The response was a reaction to a hate filled movie targeting the other party.

    Live your life how you want to. But when your freedom risk others' lives, I think the courts should have the right to limit freedom.
     
  14. Ronald0

    Ronald0 New Member

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    As long as it puts his life alone at risk, he is welcome to his freedom. ut when it actually endagers other people, then the state should have a right to step him and limit freedom.

    It is actually about the movie. We are talking about a specific incident. Why does freedom have to be absolute. Why can't we have small exceptions if those exceptions could help us save human lives? Specially when its over something as trivial as a movie.
     
  15. stekim

    stekim New Member

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    It is all about controlling. You said the movie should be banned because some crazy Muslims would kill people otherwise. That is controlling free speech through the threat of violence. If Muslims will get offended then the offending thing should be banned. That's how you get theocracies run by insane authoritarians. I'll risk a band of crazy Muslims in exchange for freedom.

    You have it completely backward, Chief. The people taking lives were not the ones that made the movie or the ones who support not banning it. I've killed no one.
     
  16. Daybreaker

    Daybreaker Well-Known Member

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    But it's not this movie that's endangering peoples' lives, it's other peoples' reaction to it. It's actually not the fault of the film, or the makers of the film, that some people can't handle it. Nobody is forcing anybody to riot. That's the rioters' decision. They're the ones putting peoples' lives at risk, not some movie.

    And personally I think the film is a bit of a scapegoat anyway, as in, "Oh, those wacky people in the middle east are rioting again, it couldn't possibly be because of the way we're treating them, it must be because of this insipid film! Aren't they barbaric?"
     
  17. Windigo

    Windigo Banned

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    Give me liberty or give me death.
     
  18. Blackrook

    Blackrook Banned

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    Americans fought a war with the British Empire which was trying to turn us into a colonial backwater by oppressing us with onerous taxes and unfair trade regulations. We fought, bled and died to overthrow that tyranny. After we were done, we enacted a Constitution that set forth certain basic rights, and first among these was freedom of speech. Our nation is unique in that free speech cannot be banned for any reason. The Citizens United decision was a recent affirmation of that point. We will not cave to terrorists and barbarians on this, and if they kill our people, we will respond by killing them back.
     
  19. RPA1

    RPA1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    It has already come out that these protests started as an organized mostly Salafist movement tied to the anniversary of 9/11. The movie is just an excuse given to distract the part-time arm-chair consumers of the main stream media. Apparently their underhanded techniques have worked to convince SOME that free speech is not so important.

    Screw them. Radical Muslims have terrorized uncounted numbers of folks, made a film BEHEADING an innocent journalist, KILLED 3,000 innocent souls on 9/11, and NOW they want us to **** about their so-called great Mohammad who along with Allah has been PRESIDING over death and destruction perpetrated in their name. Good Muslims everywhere should be appalled and those who have this human debris living among them should hunt them down and KILL them like the animals they really are.
     
  20. NothingSacred

    NothingSacred Active Member

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    Dude, it's your people that overreact to these things. I've seen examples of the same people that are rioting now, doing stuff derogatory to Jesus and the Christian world let's it slide for the most part, at worse 'maybe' verbally complaining. That's why I say if the Muslims want those kind of rules, like they kill us then they at the same time dissing on Jesus, then I say LET'S PLAY that game.
     
  21. Margot

    Margot Account closed, not banned

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    Muslims would never ridicule Jesus or any of the Patriarchs.
     
  22. RPA1

    RPA1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Wrong on all counts. These radicals are nothing but hateful, power hungry jackals fueled by their own mentally-ill interpretation of Allah and Mohammad. Yes the movie was given as an excuse for a well-planned killing spree centered around the 2012 9/11 anniversary. BTW has ANYONE noted that this particular anniversary of 9/11 is the 11TH YEAR since that day of infamy? Didn't think so.
     
  23. RPA1

    RPA1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Of course not, why bother to ridicule when you can just kill all the Infidels? Who gives a sh!t about which religion they belong to? Radical Muslims are equal opportunity killers. Heck they even kill their own.
     
  24. Albert Di Salvo

    Albert Di Salvo New Member

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    Please tell me you are not an American citizen. No American believes as you do.
     
  25. BleedingHeadKen

    BleedingHeadKen Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Who has the right to prevent you from speaking your mind just because some other people choose to be offended by it? What is the objective level of offense that a person might take at your words such that I am justified in arresting you, putting you in a cage, or even killing you in order to make you stop?
     

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